Secondary battery.



L. H. FLANDERS.

SEOONDARY BATTERY.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.15.1905.

909,572. Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

00000 000050 000000 '6 I ooeooa so an OOOOUO O0 90 000000 95 0-5 cooopoas was ouoooo 00 000 00900 I6 500 00 000 on o no one 00 o cooeooeoocoooo- WITNESSES: INVENTOR ATTORNEY mg away,'and one that is capable ofadaptsra'rns PATENT ()FFME LOUISjH. FLA-NDERS, OFWILKINSBURG,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGN OR TO THE WESTINGHOUSE- MAGHINE COMPANY, ACORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SEGONZDARY BATTERY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12. 1909-.

Application filed April 15, 1905. Serial No. 255,745.

1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, LOUIS H. FLANDERS, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of IVilkinsburg, in'the county of Allegheny and State ofvPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in SecondaryBatteries, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relate to secondary batteries and more particularly toseparators. for the electrodes of such batteries.

In secondary batteries-it is necessary .to keep the plates or electrodesfrom coming in contact witheach other, and this is usually accomplishedby placing an element composed of insulating material between them.

In secondary batteries designed to occupy a minimum amount of space,considerable difiiculty has been encountered by short-circuiting betweenthe plates through a phe nomenon called bridging, which consists in theplates or electrodes becoming connected by an electrolytically depositedchain of some conducting salt or metal. This deposition generally occursupon the surfaces of a the. interposed separators.

The objectof this invention is to produce 5 a separator which, whileoccupying a minimum amount of space, will prevent bridging of the activematerial.

A further object is the production of a separator which shall preventthe active n1 a terial from dropping off the plates or wasting itself tothe changes that may occur in the electrodes, due to expansion andcontraction during the operation of charging or dis charging thebatteries.

These and other objects I attain in a separator embodying the featuresherein described and illustrated.

In the drawings accompanying this application and formm a part thereof,Figure l is a partial view, of adjacent parts of separators, the nearportion being broken away, showing a partial view of the far portion.Fig. 2 is an end view of separators in connection with electrodes.

The separator consists of two perforated sheets 4 and 5 of insulatingmaterial, which, with their lateral flange-strips ,6, form aninclosingsheath for the electrode 7. The flange-strips 6 are arranged tointerlock,

forming an expansible joint and as the sheath is open at the top andbottom, the inclosing sheath is capable of adaptingitself to thecontourof the electrode. Each of the perforated sheets 4: and5 isprovided with obliquely extending ribs 8 which reinforce the sheet andperform the function of spacing strips in separating the adjacent platesof the separator. The inclined. spacing strips of a portion of-theseparator on one plate intersect the oppositely inclined spacing,

strips of a portion of the separator on an adjacent plate, as shown inFig. 1. Under these conditions the tendency of active inatcrial tobridge between adjacent plates is substantially overcomeas no continuoussurface is presented over which the phenomenon could take place, sincethe portion of the contact with the adjacent plate and since theintersecting ribs are inclined, the active material lodging on them willslide downand separator in contact with one plate is not in drop off ofthe separator into the'bottom of the containing vessel.

The interlocking lateral flange-strips 6 prevent short-circuiting due todepositions of active material at the ends of the containing jar and aconsequent bridging between the edges of the'plates.

Mounted at the bottom of the perforated sheets on the ends ofconveniently located spacing ribs. are anchoring lugs 9 which preventthe separator from rising, due to its tendency to float in theelectrolyte.

The hooks orlugs 9 are. placed under the electrodes or plates and are.of sufiicient length to, admit of considerable player-inotion betweenthe plates without releasing the separator. Sincethe inclosing sheathfor each electrode is composed of separate halves,

it will fit more securely to the surface of the electrode and theconstruction of the sheath is such that while it rigidly preventscontact of adjacent plates, the separate halves are pliable andcapable,to some extent, of as suming the shape of the surface of the electrode.This allows the perforated sheets 4 I and 5 to come into intimatecontact with the active material of the electrode and form,

with the plates, upon which the material is deposited, an inclosingcasing. The tendency of the active al, therefore, to drop oil or wasteaway vercome.

50 the electrode composed of perforated sheets provided with obliquelyextending spacing material,

The separator is made of some insulating suchas hard rubber, and byvulcanizing' or other. means the perforated sheet, the lateralflange-strips, I and the anchoring lugs are jOInBCl together. Theseparate halves of the separators are not connected but are adapted toadjust themselves to the conditions"encountered, as before stated.

'The cell may be so arranged that alternate electrodes only are inclosedby a sheath. Under such conditions the separator ribs of the sheath willcome in direct contact with. the adjacent plate or if desired, anadditional perforated sheet may be interposed between the. ribs and theplate. WVith this arrangement, as in the case'where each plate isinclosed by a sheath, the tendency of the plates to distort or buckle issubstantially overcome, as each plate is inclosed between oppositelyinclined sets ,of rigid separator ribs and a tendency of the'ribs todistort, unresisted by solid material lodging on one set of ribs, theopposite side of the plate.

Since the spacing ribs are inclined the tendency towards bridgingbetween adjacent supporting lugs 01" hoolgs.

of the separator 'is necessecure by Letters Patent is .1. In combinationwith an electrode, .a separator comprising a perforated sheet adapted tolie in .contactwith a of said. electrode and provided with a pluralityof integrally formed and obliquelyextending spacing strips.

2. In combination with separator comprising an inclosing casing for theseparating ribs,

will be overcome by the set .on

motion and a consequent subjected to vibrations and adapted to lie incontact with a tending spacing lateral face.

an electrode, a

strips formed integrally with and exteriorly' mounted thereon.

I11 combination With' an electrode, a separator, consisting ofaperforated flanged member provided with rigidly mounted and obliquelyextending spacing strips and retaining lugs-connected to the bottomportion of said flanged member for securing it in place on saidelectrode.

4. In combination with an electrode, a separator comprisingtwoperforated sheets each adapted to contact with a lateral face of theelectrode, lateral flanges formedintegrally with said sheet and adaptedto inclose the vertical edges of the electrode, and obliquely extendingspacing ri s formed integrally with each sheet and mounted exteriorlythereon.

5. In combination with an electrode, a separator comprising a perforatedflanged member, rigidly mounted spacing strips located on one face ofsaid member, and retaining lugs secured to the bottom portion of saidmember I place on said electrode.

6, In combination with. an electrode, a'

separator comprising a perforated member provided with retaining lugslocated at the bottom portion of said member and adapted to secure it inplace o r said electrode.

- 7 In combination With an electrode, a

separator consisting of a perforated flanged,

, member provided with retaining lugs secured to the bottom of saidmember and adapted to secure said member in place on said electrode.

8. In combination with an electrode, a. separator comprising aperforated sheet lateral face a pluralityof obliquely ex strips secured'0 said sheet, and means secured to the bottom of said sheet and adaptedto secure it in place on the electrode.

In testimony whereof,- I have hereunto subscribed'my name this 14th dayof April, 1905..

of the electrode,

L. H. FLANDERS. Witnesses Davin WILLIAMS, J NO. S. GREEN.

and adapted to secure it in

